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Girl, 6, finds man’s wedding ring on Fife beach – using metal detector bought when mum lost HER ring

Katie Spence came to the rescue when Neil Sneddon lost his ring at Aberdour Harbour.

Neil Sneddon and Katie Spence, who found Neil's wedding ring at Aberdour Harbour.
Neil Sneddon with Katie Spence, who found his wedding ring at Aberdour Harbour. Image: Supplied.

A six-year-old girl has found a man’s missing wedding ring on a Fife beach – using a metal detector bought to look for her mum’s lost ring 11 years ago.

Neil Sneddon was returning to Aberdour Harbour on Sunday after a boat trip on the Forth when his white gold wedding ring slipped off his finger.

He phoned friend Scott Spence – who knows the area well – to ask for his help in looking for it.

Scott, from Dalgety Bay, then called on the assistance of daughter Katie to scour the area using her metal detector.

‘Panicked’ call over lost ring

Scott said: “I was out shopping in Dunfermline when I got a panicked call from Neil asking for my help to find his missing wedding ring.

“I asked my daughter if she could lend a hand as she has a little toy metal detector that I bought while on my honeymoon in Corsica in 2012 to find my wife’s missing ring.”

The trio waited for the tide to go out before scanning the sand in search of the ring – which is engraved with Neil and wife Layla’s names.

Scott said: “We were just about to give up when Katie shouted out: ‘There’s a beep, dad.’

Aberdour Harbour viewed from the air.
Aberdour Harbour. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

“It was a miracle to find it after hours of searching. We couldn’t believe it as it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“We thought that it would be buried deep as we had to wait for the tide to go out but there it was, lying in the sand.

“Neil was over the moon. He offered Katie a financial reward which she was pleased with.

“His wife phoned him and said he could come home again – she said he couldn’t until he found the ring.”

‘It was an amazing moment’

Neil was on his first launch of the year, after recently joining Aberdour Boat Club (ABC), when the drama unfolded.

He said: “I was pulling my soft inflatable boat up the slipway and my wedding ring dropped into the water.

“I phoned Scott to assist on the search.

“He also brought down his helpful daughter Katie and they were armed with a metal detector.

“After a long, hard look, Katie found the ring. It was an amazing moment.”

Scott and daughter Katie who found her ring with her metal detector.
Scott found the ring with Katie’s help. Image: Scott Spence

Scott bought the metal detector after his wife Maria – Katie’s mum – lost her own wedding ring in Corsica.

Scott with his wife Maria
Scott with his wife Maria. Image: Scott Spence

He said: “I searched the whole beach for hours and bought the detector but couldn’t find it anywhere.

“I even buried my own ring and used the detector to see how far down it could detect and it wasn’t that deep.

“I gave my daughter the detector as a toy and it’s amazing that it’s helped to recover Neil’s wedding ring all this time after buying it.”

Conversation